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The Global Insight

How do I know if my Buffalo nickel is valuable?

Author

Michael Gray

Updated on April 07, 2026

Minted 1913 to 1938; buffalo nickel value is found by determining date | mintmark | condition. A heavily worn coin with a readable date is worth well above face value. A very popular series with collectors, each coin is evaluated closely to identify its full potential.

How do you tell the date on a Buffalo nickel?

The date is located just on the bottom left on the Buffalo nickel — on the shoulder of the Indian. This means that the date sits high off the surface of the coin and is one of the first places that wear will take place on the Buffalo nickel.

What is a rare Buffalo nickel?

The 1924-S Buffalo nickel is by no means a rare coin in circulated condition. With a mintage of 1,437,000 coins, many of them have survived and are available to collectors today. This coin’s high level of preservation and dramatic eye appeal make it an extremely valuable coin.

What is the F below the date on a Buffalo nickel?

The letter “F” you see on the “heads” side under the place where the date is located, stands for the designer’s last name, James Earl Fraser. All Buffalo nickels have the designer’s initials on it regardless of the mint facility where it was manufactured.

What year buffalo nickel is worth the most?

The Top 10 Most Valuable Nickels

TypeYearEstimated Value
1. Liberty Head V Nickel1913$3,737,500
2. 7-D Buffalo Nickel1918$350,750
3. S Buffalo Nickel1926$322,000
4. Buffalo Nickel1916$281,750

What year buffalo nickel is worth money?

What is the value of a 1936 F Buffalo nickel?

Like most coins that were minted in mass amounts, the 1936 Buffalo Nickel holds only a small premium in conditions less than Uncirculated. This is due to most coins being worn easily from circulation. In Good 4 condition, 1936 Buffalo Nickels are worth $0.50 and in Fine 12, approximately $1.00.

Can you tell how much a buffalo nickel is worth?

Many people have a Buffalo Nickel with no date on it and wonder if they could reveal the year and how much it is worth. You may see a lot of websites that Buffalo nickel key dates for the “S” and “D” mint marks. But without the year, how do you determine how much the coin is worth? Why Did the Date Wear Off?

What does the s stand for on a buffalo nickel?

The letter “D” indicates the Denver mint facility, and “S” stands for San Francisco. Key date coins are susceptible to unscrupulous people trying to add a mint mark to a common date coin to increase its value. Before spending big dollars on a rare Buffalo nickel, make sure a reputable coin dealer authenticates it.

How much is a 1926 s Buffalo nickel worth?

If your 1926-S buffalo nickel is in “Fine” or better condition dealers are paying $60 or more. This is only one example of a rare date, there are many more scattered throughout the series. Other than rare dates and varieties, what you are really hoping to find are better condition coins.

What’s the condition of a 1935 Buffalo nickel?

This means that most 1935 Buffalo Nickels will have a good amount of wear on them, resulting in the condition being either “Good” or “Fine.” 1935 Buffalo Nickels in better condition are more common than other dates but are still very scarce.